The Heart is a Fragile Thing
by Corrinn
Summary: Teru has a plan to get Kurosaki to confess his feelings. Will it work? Rated M for a little language and some suggestive scenes.


_**I love these two and finally couldn't resist writing about them any longer. They make such a cute couple! My usual disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just what I do to them. **_

Kurosaki could hear Teru's screaming from his apartment across the hall. He leaped off the couch that he had crashed on earlier and flew out the door, not even bothering with a shirt. Raising a fist, he beat on the door to Riko's apartment. Teru's screaming could still be heard.

"Teru! Riko! Somebody open the hell up or I'm going to kick in the door!"

Teru's screaming finally stopped, and a deadly calm echoed from the apartment. He pounded once more on the door before taking a step back and raising his foot, ready to do whatever he could to protect Teru. As he swung his foot forward, the door swung open. Riko stood with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face as Kurosaki fell on his face in her living room.

"What the hell is going on?" he sputtered, picking himself off the floor.

"She was just having a nightmare. Don't get all crazy, loverboy."

"L-loverboy?"

Riko simply smiled and move toward the kitchen. "Well now that we are all awake, I'll just go ahead and make some coffee."

"Where is she?" Kurosaki kept his voice low in case the young woman in question was still asleep.

"I'm right here, Kurosaki."

He spun and had to keep from crushing her to his chest. He didn't feel like this about anybody but her. She had wrapped him around her finger before they even met. He was her Daisy and he always would be. Kurosaki reached over and ruffled her hair. Teru had graduated high school two years ago, but he still couldn't resist teasing her. She scowled at him.

"Go bald, Kurosaki. What are you doing here anyway. It's," Teru checked the clock on the living room wall, "4am. You never get up this early if you don't have to."

Kurosaki tried his best to keep up his cool and uncaring front. "I don't know. You were screaming and I didn't want to hassle with the police coming here for no reason. You're such a pain, Teru."

Teru's eyes filled with tears and Kurosaki wanted to kick himself. "I-I'm sorry to be such a bother." She turned her back to him. "Uh, Riko, suddenly I don't feel so good. I'm going to head back to bed. My alarm is set, but please check up on me if I don't wake up in time."

The older two watched Teru shuffled back to her room. They saw her shoulders start to shake with sobs as she shut her bedroom door. Riko spun on Kurosaki and belted him across the face.

"You jerk! How could you do that to her? She had a nightmare! One that apparently really upset her. A lot."

Kurosaki ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. I didn't think she'd take it so seriously." He sat down heavily "Why do I always screw things up?"

Riko was still mad at him, but could see he was really sorry for what had happened. She let him sit there for a little bit while she grabbed two cups of strong, dark coffee from the kitchen. They were going to need all the caffeine they could get to make it through the day. Waking up this early always gave her a headache. Riko handed one of the cups of coffee to Kurosaki before sitting next to him.

"You love her, right?" He nodded. "Well, as much as you like to ignore it, whether for her own benefit or yours, she loves you too. You're just too pigheaded to give in."

"But her brother-"

"Would want her to be as happy as possible. And from what I can tell, she would be happiest with you."

Kurosaki tossed back the last of his coffee and let his head drop back on the couch. "I just don't know what to do."

"It'll come to you. You're a pretty smart guy. You'll most likely think of something, and if you can't, I can give you a suggestion: Pin her against a wall and kiss her like there's no tomorrow."

"WHAT?" Kurosaki jumped off the couch and looked at Riko in horror.

"Don't give me that. You know you want to kiss her. I won't even try to stop you. She's not in high school anymore, so she's fair game. Besides, if you don't get off your ass and snatch her up, someone else will."

Riko laughed as Kurosaki sputtered in embarrassment. She shoved him out the door, reminding him that he should make his move soon. He muttered a curse under his breath and slammed the door to his apartment behind him.

**/**

Teru spent the rest of the night wide awake on her bed. Was she really that much of a bother to Kurosaki? Each time she thought of him, she wanted to cry harder. Why couldn't he just love her back? Sure, she was still flat-chested and plain, but there had been a couple of times that he had seemed to show interest only to laugh it off.

She touched her cell phone. It was so much easier when she could pretend he was still Daisy and ask him for advice. Riko's advice from the other day came back to her.

_"You need to do something to catch his attention."_

_ "Like what? I don't have the supermodel looks. I don't have big boobs. There's nothing about me that could catch his attention."_

_ "You'd be surprised what jealousy can do to a person." Riko had laughed after that."_

At the time, Teru had been unsure exactly what Riko had been talking about, but an idea had struck her as she lay waiting for her alarm to go off. Ooo, that would be evil! If it worked, all the better for her and if not, well, he could go bald anyway. Teru smiled and mentally made plans on how best to torture Kurosaki. She might even ask Riko for some pointers.

Teru was still awake when her alarm clock went off. After giving it a good smack, she decided to start her assault right then. She reached for her cell phone and shot a message off to Kurosaki before she could back out. When she had finished, Teru started getting her things together to head to campus. College classes didn't start till later, but she had a part time job at a cafe there. She bid Riko goodbye as she left, a cheery and somewhat sinister smile on her face.

**/**

Kurosaki rubbed his eyes. The coffee had only sustained him for a couple of hours. He sat at his kitchen table, and entire new pot made in his own coffee maker. What was he going to do about Teru? He really did love her, but he couldn't seem to express that without first being an ass and making fun of her. His cell phone beeped. He rubbed his eyes again and checked who the message was from. It was Teru. Kurosaki opened it up, not quite sure what she would say to him. It looked like it was going to be a long message, and she addressed it to "Daisy." She must be really upset if she was wanting to play their Daisy game.

_Daisy:_

_I know we haven't kept in touch as much as we used to. I'm all grown up and have learned to take care of myself. Kurosaki is still mean and can GO BALD!_

_Anyway, I was wanting to talk to you about a nightmare I've been having. It starts off with me in a dark alley. No one knows where I am and I have lost my cell phone, so no one is able to track me. Akira is at the entrance of the alley with a band of thugs behind him. He says he's killed my Daisy. He starts to move toward me, dropping his pants as he walks. It's then that I realize I'm naked and it sinks in what he's about to do. Nobody can save me now. Just as he reaches me, I wake up._

_I'm not sure what to make of it, but there. Kurosaki decided to be mean and make fun of me for having nightmares. I really don't know what to do. I don't have anyone else to talk to about it. _

_Teru_

Kurosaki dropped his head to the table with a sigh. What an idiot he was being. Teru needed him and he didn't even know how to help. It wasn't as if he could hold her while she slept. Akira hadn't been heard from for a few years now, so the scenario didn't seem likely. Kurosaki did the only thing he could think of. Just play the Daisy game.

_Teru_

_You need to smack some sense into that idiot's head. How dare he make fun of you. He of all people should know that nightmares aren't funny. I'm sorry that you've been scared. I wish I knew what else to say. I will still be there always to protect you, even if you think you've outgrown it._

_Daisy_

Kurosaki stood and walked over to the counter. He filled two thermoses with coffee before grabbing his hat and heading off to the same college that Teru went to for his janitor job. He hoped that he had made her feel at least a little bit better.

**/**

Teru smiled at the message. He was still willing to play the game. She tucked her phone into her pocket and went back to clearing the breakfast dishes off of one of the tables. There would be hell to pay if her boss caught her texting on the job. His favorite phrase was "if there's time to lean, there's time to clean." Ugh. Oh well, she had a break coming as soon as she could get all the dishes back to the dishwasher and could send another text then.

She dropped off the dishes and grabbed her plate of food. It was greasy American-style breakfast. The kind you always hear people talking about to cure a hang over. Teru didn't have a hangover, but she was a little out of it from lack of sleep. As she sat at her table, she reached for her cell phone, trying to come up with a good message to really get his blood going.

_Daisy_

_I've been meaning to tell you about this guy I like. I see him pretty much every day. He almost always can bring a smile to my face and is very protective of me. Last night, when I was with him, I wanted so bad for him to kiss me, or for me to get over myself and kiss him. Would that be too forward of me?_

_Teru_

Teru quickly shoveled in the rest of her eggs and hash browns. Ha! Let him stew about that for a while. She ran her dishes to the back and washed her hands before running back out front to take over her tables again. There were a couple of regulars and several new faces. Teru put on her happy waitress smile and got ready to take orders.

**/**

Another message from Teru. This time Kurosaki nearly dropped his phone when he read the message. She was meeting up with another guy? What the hell? He checked the time. She should still be at the cafe. He could make it over there and demand to know who this creep was. Kurosaki sighed and shook his head. Teru would be pissed if he made a scene at her job. He would just have to keep messaging her and talk to her later. If he even could talk to her later. What if she was with this guy?

_Teru_

_How well do you know this guy? This is the first I'm hearing of it. What's going on? _

_P.S. Yeah, it would be too forward of you to kiss him first._

_Daisy_

Kurosaki shut his phone with a snap and shoved it angrily into a pocket. How dare some other man try to steal his girl from him. Sadness swept over him at that thought. Well, technically speaking, she wasn't _his_ girl. They were not an item, or even a thought from the looks of it. He thought that maybe they had something together. Kurosaki checked the time again. Still an hour before she left work to go to class. He could go over and see her on the pretense of getting food. He shook his head. No, she'd just get mad at him for interrupting her work.

He reached for the rake that he'd leaned against the side of the building. Time to get back to work. Maybe it would take his mind off of Teru and this new guy she was seeing.

**/**

Teru checked the message as she ran out of work to head to class. She started snickering when she saw that he didn't want her to kiss the "other guy." It was going to be fun torturing him! She paused outside of her classroom to send one final message before classes started. School kept her tied up until evening.

_Daisy_

_He's been a good friend to me for quite some time. He has the most gorgeous eyes and the kind of hair that you just want to sink your fingers into. It's so soft and always smells wonderful. His touch makes me melt, but I've been careful not to show how much it affects me. I don't want him to think I'm easy._

_I think it only just recently sunk in that I have feelings for him, and that he has feelings for me. I've shared with him about my nightmares, and he was very supportive of me. _

_Teru_

As she hit send, there was a little part of her that felt bad for messing with Kurosaki like that. She wasn't lying when she said she'd been tempted to sleep in his bed. It had happened before, and the feeling of his arms wrapped around her had been the most relaxed and safe she'd felt since her brother had been alive. She really hoped Riko was right about this whole jealousy thing.

**/**

Kurosaki spit his coffee on the ground in embarrassment. He didn't want to have to deal with her falling in love with another guy. He had loved her for years now. There was no need for another guy. He just sat silently in the bathrooms that he should have been cleaning. His stomach knotted up at the thought of her with another guy. What was happening to him? He used to be the love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy. Certainly not the mope around and act like a lovesick school boy kind. Maybe they could talk face to face when she got home from class.

**/**

Teru spent the next couple of weeks avoiding Kurosaki. She made sure to sneak into the apartment any way she could find. One night, she even climbed in through the window! Teru wanted him to stew about who this other guy could be. He was getting more agitated by the day and a few times, she'd even heard him screaming at the birds to quit shitting on all the park benches. She chuckled. That had brought a few odd looks from the passersby.

The next day, she decided to drop one final bombshell of a text on him, hoping to spur him into action. This would be the last one she sent. After this, if he made no advances toward her, she'd drop the whole ruse and know that he didn't want her at all.

_Daisy_

_I need to ask you one more thing. I really have strong feelings about this guy. He has a calming presence for me and I think he could even keep the nightmares at bay. I've been thinking of asking him if I could share his bed. Do you think I should? We've know each other for quite a while and I think he'd treat me with the utmost respect. I am just ready to take our relationship to the next level._

_Teru_

**/**

Oh for god's sake! She was thinking of sleeping with this guy? He watched her walk into class and wanted to storm over there and snatch her out of the classroom to have a chat with her. Maybe he could even kiss her until thoughts of this other guy left her head forever. That would show her. He sighed in defeat. There was no need for that. Teru was a grown woman now. She could sleep with or fall in love with whomever she wanted. He felt a pain in his chest and leaned heavily against the wall. It was going to hurt to watch her with another man.

He walked over to the maintenance building and clocked out. His boss looked at him questioningly, but upon seeing the crushed look on Kurosaki's face, he nodded his head and said goodbye. It wasn't like him to leave work early, at least not since he started the job at the college. There was some crazy part of him that wanted Teru to see him as a hardworking, responsible adult. No matter how hard he tried, though, he came out looking and acting like a jerk. Kurosaki called up the Master. He needed someone to talk to.

"Hey, it's me."

"Tasuku, what's going on? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Are you busy?"

"No, come on over. You sound like you are having some problems."

Kurosaki swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yeah, you could say that. I've screwed things up this time and I don't think they'll ever be fixed."

"We'll see about that. Just come over here and we can have a chat over lunch."

They hung up without saying goodbye. Kurosaki made it to his car and drove over to the restaurant. The Master stood behind his counter with a steaming bowl of noodles ready for Kurosaki to dig into. The younger man dropped heavily into his seat, looking for all the world like a man who had his heart carelessly shattered.

"Tasuku, you look terrible."  
"I've lost her." He dropped his head onto the counter top without even touching the noodles.

The Master's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I don't understand. What do you mean? Lost who?"

"Teru. She's fallen for some other guy and is even thinking about sleeping with him. She's no longer the sweet little girl that Soichirou made me swear to protect."

"Tasuku, it's been many years since you made that promise. You had to know she'd grow up sometime."

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would be this hard to have her fall for someone other than me. I just thought that we'd, you know, be together. Forever. I... I really love her."

"Do you love her enough to let her love who she wants to love?"  
Kurosaki looked up at the Master, tears in his eyes. "I don't know. I just don't know. I want to let her love who she will, but I can feel my heart breaking and I don't think that it will ever get better."

The Master moved around the counter and pulled Kurosaki into a hug. He had always treated the younger man like a son. Seeing him hurting so much made him want to shake some sense into Teru. Sure the former hacker had his faults, but didn't everyone. There had been a time when she did everything she could to get Kurosaki to come back. Now she was throwing all of those feelings back in his face. The older man could feel tears seep into his shirt and he made a decision.

"Tasuku, there's a guy I know that has been looking for a good programmer. He pays really well and it would get you away from here. The job is supposed to start as soon as he can get someone hired. Want me to put in a call?"

Kurosaki paused for a moment. What about his promise? He pulled back from the Master and wiped his face with a napkin. The new guy in her life would keep her safe, not to mention Riko, the Master, and Andy would still be around to keep an eye on her. He needed to get away from here and fast.

"Yeah, sure. Wait to call him until tomorrow. I want to make sure I can get everything packed and things sorted out with my apartment before agreeing to anything. Thanks."

As he headed home, some of the crushing weight that was on his chest seemed to lift just a bit. He would start a new life, with new people. No one would have to know that he was Daisy. Plans started flying together in his head. He could change his phone number so Teru wouldn't constantly pester him about this guy. He'd let Riko know what was going on, and even give her the new number whenever he got it.

Once back at the apartment, he started going through everything. All the trash got thrown out and things he wanted to pack got organized into nice neat piles. He ran out to get boxes, for once not wondering if Teru had made it home yet. When he got back, he left the apartment door open to make it easier to set the junk he didn't want out in the hallway to be moved to the dumpster later. He had just taped up the third box when he heard a gasp from the doorway.

"What are you doing?"

Her voice pounded through his skull. He swore he would be strong and let her live her life, but just hearing her talk made him want to kiss her and confess.

"Uh, well, I'm packing. The Master found me a job quite a ways from here. It's a programming job."  
"You can't leave," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

Rage shot through him at that comment. "How dare you! How dare you toy with my emotions, then fall in love with another man. I can't take it, Teru. What? Did you think I would sit by and watch you with him? I'm not that strong. I can't handle rejection like that."

Teru blanched. It wasn't fun to tease him about it any longer. He didn't take it like she thought he would. He was supposed to have come over and demanded that she not see this guy. He was supposed to have kissed her to make her forget any other guy. Instead, she had broken him. She started crying. Kurosaki was confused. What was wrong with her? He could only stand there while she cried herself out. He knew that if he went over and touched her, he'd lose himself.

"Teru, I'm sorry if this upsets you," he continued in a softer voice, "but I really, truly cannot watch another man hold you and kiss you, when all I want is to be in his shoes. I just- what was that?"

Teru had muttered something between her hiccuping sobs. Kurosaki walked over and bent over to look into her face. She looked just as miserable as he felt. Slowly, he reached a hand out and lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"What did you just say?"

"There is no other man. You are the guy I was texting about. You're the one I want to kiss me, it's you I want to sleep with. I think you are sexy and gorgeous and I love your eyes. I want to be able to run my fingers through your hair. I... just... wanted to make you jealous. Usually you'd fly off the handle and demand that I stop seeing someone else. It was supposed to have worked. I'm so sorry. And now you're going away. I've lost you and I don't know what do to. Daisy, please help me."

Kurosaki dropped his hand and took a step backwards. There was no other man. Well, there was a guy, and he was it. His heart started pounding. He reached over and pulled Teru into his arms. She sobbed harder against his chest and he let her cry herself out. It felt good just to hold her.

When she finally calmed down, he led her the rest of the way into his apartment, shutting the door behind them. He sat the both of them down on the couch, never letting go of her. Kurosaki was still trying to get over the fact that he was the guy from the texts. Teru started to pull back and he looked down at her.

"I understand if you hate me now. I should never have listened to Riko and just come talk to you straight up. I can't believe how stupid I've been."

Kurosaki looked at her. He couldn't figure out what to say. He was upset that she had played him, but at the same time, his relief that there was no other guy was so great that he was able to look beyond the torment she put him through. Finally, a smirk lit his face. He would do what he had been wanting to for so long. He pulled her over until she was sitting in his lap and leaned in to kiss her until she had no doubts about how much he loved her.

As soon as their lips touched he knew he was a goner. Warmth spread throughout his body and it was all he could do not to strip her on the couch. There would be time for that later. Right now, he held himself in check. He didn't want her to feel rushed or pressured. Shock broke the kiss when he felt her hands slip under his t-shirt and caress his chest. He couldn't suppress a moan at the contact.

Teru couldn't help herself. She had loved him for so long and in recent years the desire to touch him like this had built up until she wanted to explode. Her hands traveled down his chest to the top of his pants. His hands caught hers and stopped her from going any farther.

"Bed," he muttered against her lips. "More comfortable."

She nodded in agreement and grinned happily as they traded kisses all the way to Kurosaki's bedroom. Clothes were shed before they even hit the doorway. It was a night years in the making, and they didn't want any more barriers between them. Once they had laid down on the bed, Kurosaki pulled back.

"Are you sure about this?"

Teru nodded. "I've waited too long as it is. You are the only one I could ever want, Tasuku. Only, I know I'm flat-chested and plain looking. I just don't want you do be disappointed in what you're getting with me."

It was the first time she'd called him by his first name and he didn't want her to stop. What she didn't know was that he was the kind of guy that appreciated breasts of all sizes. She was just as perfect as he could have hoped. Her face was red as he ran his hands over her, whistling appreciatively. He leaned in and kissed her again, not wanting any more interruptions to the happiest night of his life. Teru loved him and wanted him. It looked like he wouldn't be taking that programmer job.

**/**

The next morning, Riko knocked on Kurosaki's door. Teru hadn't come home last night and the Master had left her a disturbing voice mail about Kurosaki leaving for a job in another city. She had to let him know that Teru really did love him.

She tried knocking again and when there was no answer, she opened the door. The first thing that struck her as odd was the cleanliness of Kurosaki's apartment. There was no trash to be seen anywhere. The dirty laundry had been picked up, except for the trail that led to his bedroom... Wait, was that Teru's shirt? And her shoes, and pants. Riko slowly backed out of the apartment and shut the door as silently as possible. Wow, so Teru and Tasuku finally figured out their feelings. She couldn't help the smile that covered her face as she texted Master the news on her way back to her own apartment. Riko looked around before heading towards Teru's room to get the girl's things packed. She'd most likely be moving across the hall.

**/**

Kurosaki woke up the next morning feeling happier than he had in a long time. Teru's naked sleeping form was curled up in a ball beside him, underneath the blankets. He grinned and touched her cheek softly, taking care not to wake her up. He wanted to watch her sleep. She looked so peaceful. It struck him then that she hadn't had a nightmare. He smiled again. He was and would always be her calming presence.

Teru stirred not too long after. She looked over at Kurosaki, sleep still trying to take over, and smiled at him. She reached out and laid a hand on his cheek. He turned his face and planted a kiss on her palm.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You were just you. My brother loved you and wanted the best for you. He wanted the best for me and made sure that you would be there to take care of me. I think that speaks volumes. My brother didn't trust just anyone with my safety."

Kurosaki blushed and pulled Teru over on top of him to hide his embarrassment. "I," he took a deep breath, feeling her press into his chest as he did so, "I love you, Teru."

"I love you too, Tasuku."

With that, Teru found herself flipped over onto her back. She couldn't hide a grin. Daisy would be around for a long time. She'd always need him to take care of her and she wanted to make sure he understood that she would take care of him too. She would have told him as much, but hey, sometimes it was more fun to show than tell.

_**Well, there it is. I hope you've enjoyed my torturing this pair. They make it so easy. I would love to hear what you thought of it, so please review!**_


End file.
